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Book Discussion Groups

As spring approaches, our book discussions continue. Our monthly group is open to anyone who enjoys reading and discussing books. Book reviews and other information concerning upcoming books are available at the Reference Desk. Come join us! No registration required. Extra copies of the books are available at the Library approximately one month before the discussion.


Wednesday, March 3, 7:30 p.m.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help In March we will host the Library’s The Big Read discussion of The Help, the story of a young white journalist and two black domestic workers in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, who collaborate on a writing project. The novel portrays women on both sides of the racial divide with resonance and humor. Find more information in The Big Read brochure (copies now are available in the Library) or at The Big Read website.


Wednesday, April 7, 7:30 p.m.
With by Donald Harington

With Donald Harington has been called "America’s greatest unknown novelist." Most of his novels are set in his made-up town of Stay More, Arkansas. With takes place in the Ozarks near the town and it begins with a kidnapping that sets the stage for the story about a child growing up alone in the backwoods, befriended by the animals around her. Though it starts out ominously, With, richly imagined and life-affirming, is a joy to read and may turn you into a Harington fan.



Wednesday, May 5, 7:30 p.m.
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

Olive Kitteridge In awarding the 2009 Pulitzer Prize to Olive Kitteridge, the committee described it as "a collection of 13 short stories set in small-town Maine that packs a cumulative emotional wallop, bound together by polished prose and by Olive, the title character, blunt, flawed and fascinating." A former junior high math teacher, Olive Kitteridge is abrasive yet vulnerable. This beautiful novel-in-stories offers sensitive insights into the human condition, through the ordinary lives of the aging Olive and her fellow coastal Mainers.



Run Your Own Book Discussion with Book Club-to-Go Kits

Library is pleased to offer Book Club-To-Go Kits, guaranteed to help put your own reading club together in a snap! Each Kit is a book bag containing ten paperback copies of a popular title and a binder full of reviews, discussion questions, and pertinent book club information. The following kits are available for check out:

  • The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
  • The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
  • American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
  • Population 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time by Michael Perry
  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Thanks to the Western Springs Library Friends for funding these materials!

Loan Rules for Book Club-to-Go Kits

Book Club-To-Go Kits may be checked out by a library card holder for 21 days with three-week renewals (limit two). There is no grace period. The cardholder who checks out the Kit is responsible for the replacement if some or all of the items are lost or damaged. A Kit may only be checked out as one item and contents may not be separated. No holds may be placed on Book Club-To-Go Kits and they are not available for interlibrary loan.

To suggest future titles for Book Club-To-Go Kits, please submit your ideas to the Adult Services Department.